Circuit-breaker.



W. A. CORLEY.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR-26. I918.

Patented Feb. 18,1919.

j/VVE mm tt ANGUS CORIIEY, OF WASHINGTON,

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

crncurr-zennexnn.

11 9 295, can

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb... 18, 1919.

' Application filed April 26, 1918. Serial No. 230,992.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ANGUS Core LEY, a citizen of the. United States, and a resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to circuit breakers, and more particularly to devices adapted to be used in submerged naval mining opera tions for automatically breaking the circuit, as for example, between a shore'stati'on and a mine should the mine accidentally sink to a. point where its explosion might damage the communicating wires to other mines.

It is, therefore, one of the objects ofthe present invention to provide an inexpensive circuit breaker having relatively few parts which may be inexpensively manufactured,

easily assembled and adapted to automatically break the circuit under abnormal con dition. A further object is to provide a device of the above character of simple and practical construction particularly adapted for submerged work.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicatedin connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique.,-relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications instructure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as -a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which V Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the complete device; Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views showing the ends of the inclosing shell and base of the hook and eye respectively. m

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 5 denotes any suitable form of attaching v over ends and-16,

member, as, for example, a hook preferablymade of copper or other non-corrodible metal of high conductivity, which it may be assumed is adaptedto be physically attached to an anchor at the bottom of a harbor and electrically connected to a shore station. At the opposite end of the device is a second attachmg means 6', of similar material, which may be in the form of a ring or eye. It may be assumed that this is attached to a mine both physically and electrically. It will be noted that. the base of the hook member 5 is provided with an adjustable contact point 7 molded in a cup-shaped insulating member 8 of condensite, or the like, which member is' closed at its upper end by an insulating plug 10 of similar material, molded around a' steel bushing 11, in which is threaded for adjustment a second contact point 12,-the opposite end of which is electrically connected with the copper ring 6 through its surounding stem.

The cup-shaped member 8 is adapted to ll01d el certain quantity of mercury or the like 14 adapted to complete the circuit between the two contact points 7 and 12 when the device occupies its normal vertical position, but which will automatically break the circuit after the device has swung or tilted to a predetermined angle with respect to the perpendicular.

It will be noted that both the attaching members 5 and 6 are provided with flanged respectively, of irregular shape to prevent turning, as shown for example in Fig. 3. These ends are held between a central body member 17 of suitable insulating and water-proofing material such as stearin pitch, and end washers l8 and 20, of balkelite, for example, each provided with collars 21 surrounding the attaching means, whereby such attaching means are thoroughly insulated from each other. A twopart'inclosing casing 22 detachably connected in any desired manner at 23, surrounds these parts. The casing 22 is preferably made-0f copper to prevent the corrosive action of sea water.

One method of use and operation of a device of this character is substantially as follows:

The contact member 12 is adjusted with 'tal, and thereby break the circuit automatically, thus positively preventing a discharge of the mine from the shore station, which might break or damage adjacent w res con- :nected with other mines in the viclnity.

It is, of course, terms horizontal and vertical as used in the specification and claims are relative and are to be understood as being applicable to a in certain operations it device in which the circuit breaking operation takes place where the device moves from one position to a position more nearly at right angles thereto, for it is obvious that might be advlsable to have the circuit maintained closed while the device was horizontal, and to be automatically broken when for any reason the device occupied a vertical position.

The present invention is of simple and practical construction, and reliable and efficient in use and operation. 1

Without further analysis, the toregoing will so fully reveal the glst of this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essentiah characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and

- therefore such adaptations should and are intended "to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the j following claims.

I claim as my invention the followings- 1.'In an apparatus of the character described, incombination, a pair of oppositely disposed attaching members provided with irregular shaped collars, adjustable contact points carried by said attaching members and normally spaced apart, means for adj usting one of said contact points from without the device, a hollow insulating multipart .container surrounding said contact points, a water proof insulating compound molded around said container and said irregular shaped collars, a two-part outer casing embracing the said irregular shaped head and said container, and insulating means between said collars and said outer container.

.2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of oppositely to be understood that the disposed attaching members of high electrical conductivity, provided with irregular shaped collars, adjustable contact points carried by said attaching members and normally spaced apart, and a hollow insulating container surrounding said contact points, a fluid of high electrical conductivity within said container making contact with both of said points only when said apparatus is in normal position, a casing surrounding said insulating container and said collars and water-proofing means for insulating said casing from said attaching members and said container, said last-named means being molded around said irregular shaped collars.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of oppositely disposed attaching members provided with collars, an adjustable contact point having threaded connection with one of said members, a metallic bushing molded in the other member, a contact oint threaded .within said bushing and ad ustable from the outer end of said second member, a hollow insulating container molded around said contact points, a water-proof covering member molded around said container and said collars, a two-part detachable casing inclosing said device, and washers insulating said 001- lars from said casing.

4:. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of oppositel disposed attaching members of high electricalconductivity and provided with collars, a contact point having threaded connection with one of said collars, an opening through said second collar, a metallic bushing secured within said collar, a contact point within said bushing adjustable from the outer end of said attaching member, a hollow insulat- 1 ing container surrounding said first contact point, an insulating cover member surroundin said bushing and fitting within said insu ating container, a water proofing composition molded around said insulating c'ontainer, water proofing composition washers disposed adjacent the outer surface of said collar, and a two-part outer casing inclosing the entire device and insulated from the attaching members by. said water proofing members.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of oppositely disposed attaching members of high electrical conductivity and provided with collars, a contact point having threaded connection with one of said collars, an opening through said second collar, a metallic bushing secured within said collar, a contact point within said bushing adjustable from the outer end of said attaching member, a hollow insulating container surrounding said. first contact point, an insulating cover member surrounding said bushing and fitting within said insulating container, a water proofing composition molded around said insulating container, Water proofing composition Washers disposed adjacent the outer surface of said collar, and a two-part outer casing inciosing the entire device and insulated from the attaching members by said Water proofing members, and means for closing said opening in said second attaching member, said means comprising a metallic composition and a Water proofing composition.

Signed at Washington, District of Columbia, this 16th day of April, 1918.

. ILLIAM ANGUS CORLEY. 

